Gen 6:3 And the LORD said , My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh : yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

I am trying to get a better understanding of the term used in the New Testament called flesh. To understand what Paul means by Flesh I reckon we must go back to the old Testament. For an example the verse above flesh in Gen 6:3.

My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh

This to me would describe the condition of man in that it opposes God.

Flesh in my understanding would be humanity in the state of opposition to God is simply the word, which is opposite to Spirit, which means the divine power. The word Flesh points not to humanity as a physical body, but to humanity as a enemy in that it fights and struggles against God.

The word Flesh points not to humanity as a physical body, but to humanity as a enemy in that it fights and struggles against God.

Yes Flesh referred by Paul in new covenant does not represent the physical body. It represents the Adamic nature in us that opposes to God. We still live in the same flesh even after we are born again. Flesh will be with us till we die. It is a selfish ambition that is against doing the will of God. Jesus came to earth in the likeness of human flesh, hence he too had his own will but he decided not to do it and to be obedient to the will of God. This is our calling today as a Christian as well. Thats why Paul says,

Romans 8 -12:-Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligationbut it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

We still live in this flesh but we are not obliged to obey it because Jesus has nailed the certificate of debt that we had with flesh to the cross. We can still choose to obey flesh and go into bondage. It is a battle, but the battle is not the same as it was before because we have the spirit now who strengthens us if we are willing to obey him.

If we still live pleasing our flesh but claim that we are dead with Christ to the world, then we are liars, the truth is not in us. There are many who claim to have died but their testimony will tell us whether they are really dead to flesh or not. God cannot be fooled.

Quote: If we still live pleasing our flesh but claim that we are dead with Christ to the world, then we are liars, the truth is not in us. There are many who claim to have died but their testimony will tell us whether they are really dead to flesh or not. God cannot be fooled.

I can see in the new testament there are different types of people for example the Galatians they began in the Spirit but they tried to be made perfect by the flesh Gal 3:3

I guess the Galatians one is easy enough to understand as they where trying to be perfected by the flesh rather than the Spirit. Their testimony was that they started in the Spirit but was tricked and went back to the Flesh to seek after perfection.

Then you have the Corinthians And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 1 Cor 3:1. There problem that there was carnality remaining envying, and strife, and divisions 1 Cor 3:3

What about the Corinthians? Paul called them babes in Christ so we know they where in Christ, but their testimony would say they were not dead to the flesh.

What I mean, envying is the flesh, rather than us doing something to please the flesh. Envying is something that comes from the inside of man rather than something he does to please the flesh like taking 30 minutes extra in the bed.

Envying is the Adamic nature can they really claim to be dead in Christ

Do you get where I am coming from or should I try and explain myself better?

Flesh in my understanding would be humanity in the state of opposition to God is simply the word, which is opposite to Spirit, which means the divine power. The word Flesh points not to humanity as a physical body, but to humanity as a enemy in that it fights and struggles against God.

No, he wan't opposed to God in the way we are opposed to God because he didn't have sin.

Absolute lie against the word of God. Because people have such wrong definition of Flesh they come against the scripture. The presence of Flesh is not sinful, the obedience to flesh is sinful. Jesus had the flesh but did not obey it.

The scripture is clear when it says that Jesus was tempted in all things like any Christian would be. Just like we have flesh Jesus came in likeness of Human Flesh. He was tempted to go against God. That is why he said 'I am not here to do my own will but the will of my father'. So it is clear that he had a will that might not have been same as his father.

See if we take the human aspect of Jesus out (which is done now by 99% Churches), we have no Gospel. How can a person who was not tempted like me say that follow me? I will tell I cannot follow you because you have special skills that I do not have. It is like following an aeroplane, how can I follow it, as I do not have the ability to fly.